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Hawfinch at the birdfeeder in our home garden

 

 

The number of hawfinches has clearly increased during the last years. You can see some ten birds at once busy in the neighbourhood. Basically they keep around stone fruit trees, but this year they have also learnt to visit the birdfeeder to eat sunflower seed.

 

This weekend the first greenfinches appeared at the birdfeeder, bramblings have not been seen yet.

 

A hawfinch is about the size of a starling, but with a shorter and sturdier body and a short tail. The plumage is patterned in brown but it is particularly easily identified by its huge  and thick conical beak with which it is able to crush the stones of drupe fruits.

 

Hawfinches operate very silently  and covertly in summer. Their movements are slow and calm; on the ground they move heavily and awkwardly. They usually live hidden in the leaves of high tree crowns, which is why they are so little noticeable.

 

Hawfinches are widely spread in the Eurasian temperate zone from Portugal to Japan.

They are also present in North-western Africa. In Estonia it is an unevenly distributed nesting bird. As an estimate 20000 – 40 000 hawfinch pairs nest here, the winter estimate was earlier 100-500 individuals but this may have changed.